BLACKWELL FAMILY                   HENRY B. BLACKWELL                             Mrs. Upton Boston, April 17, 1892

My Dear Mrs. Upton:

Your conversation with me has
made me hope that through you I may
get a movement started which will in time
bring about woman's suffrage and through that
a true republic in America.  The slow progress
we have made during the past 40 years of persistent 
agitation is due to the fact that women
have taken little or no part in practical
politics, and consequently men have little or
no faith in woman's capacity for the political
franchise.  What capacity women have shown
for political organization has been wasted in
promoting third parties like Prohibition, or
Labor Reform, or Farmer's Alliance, which
only antagonize the great body of men, who are
Republicans or Democrats.
  In order to interest most men in
woman suffrage, women must show an
interest in the two great parties, according to
their own opinions and sympathies, and unite

effort to promote the success of the party to which
they naturally incline.
  Presidential year is the best time to begin
in America what the Primrose League and
the Women's Liberal Federation have done in
England, viz: organizing women as a factor
in National politics.
  Now, you, as the daughter of a Republican
Congressman and yourself a Republican, are the
person to act.  And the present is the time
and Washington is the place.  What I ask
you to do is this: Secure the co-operation
of one or two wives or daughters or relatives of
Congressmen of social talent and position.
Either in their name or your own, invite
the female relatives of every Republican
Senator or Representative to a parler to
consider what the women of America
can and will do to help elect the Presidential
ticket next fall.  Remind them that the
party which secures the co-operation of
organized women is bound to win.  Theyelected Harrison and Tyler in 1840; they elected
Fremont and Dayton (though counted out by
fraud) in 1856; they elected Lincoln and
Hamlin in 1860.  Let the women present organize
a National Republican League, with a
constitution and officers; its object being
to create a State League in every State,
with auxiliary county leagues in every county,
in the United States.  Call it by some poetical
name, -- "Mayflower League", would be a
good one.  Let its effort be to enroll
every Republican woman in each county,
to raise money, to get up meetings, to distribute
literature, and above all to get out
the voters.  Let these women put themselves
in communication with the active political
men of each community and work with them,
seconding their efforts, attending their meetings,
furnishing music, songs, flowers, and
speakers.  In short, let the Republican
women do for the campaign what the women
of the churches do for a revival.  What the

Republicans want and must have is a political
revival, and no revival, political or religious
can be had without the active work of women.
If you think it bet to invite to this meeting a
few of the political managers -- such men as
Clarkson, Elkins, Frye, Dingley, Reed, Hoar,
Palmer, Warren, Carey, and Pettigrew -- so
as to give confidence to the women.  You should
first see them and secure their aid.  It
may be that the charm of mystery might be
useful and the League might be a secret
society like the Union League which was
organized during the War -- the pass-words
and ceremonies of initiations being more an
appeal to the imagination than any real element.
  This movement ought to be made sufficiently
early to enlist the enthusiastic co-operation of
every influential woman in Washington (Republican)
and mature its plans before Congress adjourns,
so that the ladies will go home to their
respective States to organize their State Leagues
without delay.  I think very likely the move-ment may arouse a similar counter-move
among the Democrats -- and this is just what we, as
suffragists, should desire.  But in the North, the
Republicans will get the start, and the South will
be solid against us anyhow with or without the
women.
  I would gladly come on to Washington to
attend such a meeting of ladies, if it were
thought best to have gentlemen present.  It
must be distinctly understood and stated
that the organization is not to be for the advocacy
of woman suffrage, nor to be engineered or
controlled, or mainly composed of suffragists,
that it is to be simply and wholly a woman's
Republican Club, to work with and for the party
of the country.  Its object is to show politicians
the power of women to promote the success of
their political principles, and to interest women
in political methods.
Yours truly
Henry B. Blackwell

August 26, 1896. Second naturalization 
paper acquired by Henry D. Blackwell.